I am waiting to finally read the legendary Lino Miele's book. There is a lot of stories surrounding it, which he tells in the Guruji book- like when Guruji told him to print 10,000 copies, then Lino asked: "how much should we charge" and P.Jois replied 100 dollars. Lino then goes on to explain his own interpretation that it did not really mean 100 dollars but that the value of the book is really that much, and back then!
The book is out of stock at amazon, I just put the picture on the right as a tease, I believe I found it at ashtanga.com
Lino wanted to have three series included in the book, including primary, intermediate and Advanced A, and John Scott had done the drawing for the advance 3rd series, but Pattabhi Jois said to him:
"Good, well done, but take the last part out, Advaned A - we don't want".
Lino agreed but was still dubious, so he asked John Scott to call Eddie Stern who happened to be in Mysore to see if further clarification could be achieved, this is what Guruji told Eddie:
"...People will look at the book and imitate, and that is no good. Look at advanced A, they want to do it, the ego is very high, and they break themselves, for what reason" There is no reason to do this. We don't want"
And so the book (have not seen it yet) only has primary and intermediate.
Another thing I have on order which is also quite exciting is the first DVD set that I know of on anatomy, by David Keil.
I am very grateful to David whom one day, and out of the blue, took time out of his day to answer our nutation question here at the blog. The article continues to be in one of the most read in the past 30 days even though I do not control that part it is done by google/blooger and based on the number of people that read the article. On that day I realized that David is dedicated to adding value and I am very much looking forward to the DVD, have you seen it?
David teaches with his wife Gretchen in Miami. He says they are always travelling.
I just realized that David teaches anatomy together with John Scott who was mentioned on the context of the previous book. I like how interconnected this small world of ashtanga yoga is.
Then, as a suggestion from Grimmly I found out about a) the led classes of primary and intermediate series dictated by Guruji you can also buy them here, by donation, 25 dollars within the US or 30 dollars outside. Thanks Grimmly!
Finally, my recent fascination with the story telling abilities of A.G. Mohan in his book "Krishnamacharya His Life and Teachings"I have ordered two other books of him, I thought he had written two in total but it turns out he has 3!, the two I have not seen yet are:
UPDATE: I do not know anything about John Friend -other than the fact that I read that NY Times article about him-, however, the video seems to be awakening a few sings of discomfort. I see the points and welcome the discussion, very much.
The only reason why I put the video up is because I sincerely liked the drawings very much and I thought he was bowing in front of the masters that have come to Encinitas before him. My view may have been wrong.
Because I really don't know much about his style I would like to hear specifics as of why is it that his style is not so much a service to the yoga tradition. Feel free to comment please and educate me and others that may want to read about it.
------
Great promotional video for John Friend's Anusara center as it approahces opening its doors in Encinita.
Glad to see that he has Pattabhi Jois and Tim Miller in the drawings...
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I find it very interesting how the voice of science thinks out lout -towards the end of the report- of using his abilities to ship "men with these skills" into space, to explore Mars, etc.
Almost makes me laugh, if he only knew how hard one has to work in this word just to quiet the mind...
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One day Krishanamacharya was conducting a "rare" demonstration-class where he mentioned that there are thirty-two variations of headstands. The class was silent. A.G.Mohan doubted him but did not say anything, however, the muscles in his face betrayed him and showed his feelings. Krishnamacharya looks at him and says:
"What? It looks like you don't believe me. Fold that mat and place it here". He then demonstrated the 32 variations of headstand. He was 85 years-old.
---- Note: All these stories come from the book -left- Krishnamacharya His Life and Teachings, which is highly recommended. A.G. Mohan studied with Krishnamacharya one-on-one for 20 years and up until the Master's death.
---
On one accassion a student comes to him for healing and poses this question to TK: "What fees do I need to pay?"- "How long have you had this desease" asks T.K. - "more than 20 years" comes the reply - "Then it will cost you one hundred rupees, bring them next class" (that was the equivalent of about US$ 5000 of today).
When the student returns the next week with the money, T.K. says: "I don't want a hudnred rupees from you. You can take it back. I only wanted to know if you had enough committment to follow the disciplines and restrictions I am going to suggest to you"
---
Another day practicing asana, in the warrior pose, Krishamacharya says to A.G. Mohan:
"Keep in mind that you are in the service of the Divine. As you extend your arms and look down, bring the feeling that you are above the world and its various concerns but close to the Divine. As you bring your arms by your side with the palms facing upward, feel that the feet of the Divine are resting on your hands"
Mohan inquiries further: "This is relevant to me but what if a practitioner has no religious beliefs?
"Still the imagery is valuable. Instead of thinking of the Divine the practitioner can bring the feeling that "I am without fear or burden. I am not troubled by the future or the past, flying above wordly pressures"
----
On an interview in 1970 -age almost 90- the question is posed: Who taught you to stop your pulse and heart beat?
"All happened automatically. What is amazing in that? I did it by practicing pranayama, vishama vrtti and nadishodhana pranayama. And meditation as well" ---
One time Mohan asks T.K. about a very advanced sequence he had had his youngest daughter, Shubha demonstrate... "How could a yoga teacher teach these asanas to an ordinary person who comes with health issues? He replied:
Krishnamacharya
"It ws a demonstration for propaganda!. You should not take it literally. Shubha can do it, but for others you must suggest appropiate asanas. Only the principle is important"
On another ocassion A.G. Mohan was to give a talk on pranayama in Switzerland, in 1979. Krishnamacharya advised: "Propagate yoga wisely"
----
One day Krishnamacharya got curious about A.G. Mohan teaching a group of students, upon inquiring "how is it going" he proceeded to give "brief but invaluable advise":
"There is a saying that poets and women should never be coerced. It will only result in suffering, and the desired result will not materialize. Similarly, never use force in teaching or practicing asnanas" ----
After many years of studying and surrendering to Krishnamacharya, being in awe at the master, A.G. Mohan finally gets the guts to ask the guru to be initiated in a mantra. To his surprise T.K. agrees, then A.G. asks how many times should he repeat the mantra, Krishnamacharya replies: "Traditionally one round of meditation is considered complete when you have repeated the mantra one hundred thousand times for each syllable, your mantra is twelve syllables, so that is twelve hundred times".
Mohan was speechless, Krishnamacharya went on to say:
"But in these days few people can do it. At the very least, ensure that for the rest of your life, every day, you repeat the mantra 108 times, slowly, with complete concentration." ---
A few days before he died A.G. Mohan asks: what is most important in life?: "Money is not important. Health, Longevity. A tranquil mind." ---
A.G. Mohan studied with Krishnamacharya for almost 20 years, one on one. He has authored two books on yoga and conducts workshops. I hear that I just missed him when I went to Mysore earlier this year as he gave a talk at the shala. Was anyone there? please tell me if you were. He is also planning on conducting online workshops. You can visit his website.
What do you think of Krishnamacharya saying: "you can't coerce a poet"?
What do you think he meant?
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"I cant tell you how many people I know that won't do yoga primary because they are intimidated. I look forward to your post for beginners..." said Anonymous yesterday and brought a sprout of inspiration.
"Intimidating" I suppose, is the key word. It can be.
Back when I started I did not dare go to a half-led class or a Mysore-style class until I "thought" I "knew" at least half of the series. I felt embarrassed, out of place even. But if I was starting all over again I wish I had a place with suggestions. So I wrote this article, and I wrote a book! -left-.
I am aware there maybe a lot of other resources, pointers, suggestions, and that there are many ashtangis reading this, so please, if you feel you can contribute towards a person starting out that wants to do "ashtanga" -we will narrow it to just ashtanga for the purposes of this post-, then go ahead and add to the comments. There is a readership eager to hear your suggestions.
1.- Do Your Practice, All is Coming
Know that Ashtanga is a life-time process not a "get rich quick" thing. Far from it, so it is good to take it one thing at the time. And that includes this post, you might want to print it and read it over days if not months.
After asana practice with Sharath on
his recent NYC tour
"Asana" is the practice of the poses of yoga. Start that practice, get on the mat, do what you can, get used to it. It might be only two or three times a week in the beginning. That is fine, most of us started that way and it takes a lot to commit to a daily routine.
I find that the daily practice (as in getting on the mat 6x-week) "happens" as we begin to notice the benefits of the practice and prefer them over our own old routines. We notice that we "feel better" on the days we practice and "not so good" on the days we do not and start to re-arranging our lives so that practice can take place. So do not worry, get on the mat, let all the rest come.
There is no need to push and get hurt, it is important to put the practice in front of the desire to rush, or "get" anywhere. After all there is no progress in being injured.
2.- Focus on just the Asana Practice
At least in the beginning. "The practice starts with asana because it is a strong body that will focus our mind and end the delusions", said Sharath Jois -I'm paraphrasing- in a recent NYC conference, that is why the emphasis is completely on surrendering to, and achieving a daily pose -asana- practice.
The two branches that come before "asana", yama and niyama, (or the observances of private and public actions) are difficult to master. So in the beginning you just think of "being ethical" as in telling the truth, not stealing, becoming a good person. A strong body and clear mind are needed to discriminate to an extent in which we might be able to reach these limbs of yoga, and be of good use to society. We start with asana practice, and to pay attention to our daily actions, all comes.
3.- It is a Breathing Practice
Make the breath the "first priority", slow down and even take extras if you have to, just make sure to breathe deeply. When you think you are breathing deeply, think deeper.
The breathing is done in a very specific way called: "ujjayi breath". It is best to learn the breathing from a teacher, or at least hear someone do it. What happens is that we contract the glottis so that the air is inhaled and exhaled in a much more ccontrolled and slow way, there is also a sound associated with it -think Darth Vader of Star Wars-.
I was just talking to someone who just started practicing and was reminded of how in the beginning it is OK to add extra breaths, and aim to get the "flow" of the sequence right. Meaning, for example: on the very first sun salutation, inhaling with ujjayi breathing as we raise the arms up and look up, then exhaling as we fold down and place the hands on the floor. Which brings me to the "hands on the floor", they may not quite go there at the start, and it is OK to give them time, but never push or force.
4.- Learning the Primary Series slowly is a good way to begin.
Warrior pose in the standing sequence
has a lot more into it than meets the eye
and is fun. Explore and enjoy!
The Primary Series is called Yoga Teraphy -Chikitsa- for this reason, because it slowly sends air to parts of our body where it never reached before, it tones the body, and makes use of muscles we had no idea we had.
Uttita Hasta, good to learn that name
pronto!
When I first started practicing a studio in the area offered "Half-Primary Led Classes", if you can find these, and the teacher "clicks with you", then you are in luck, as these are short versions, not too daunting -usually going to Navasana-, and even then you may need to stop before the twists (Marichasanas). That is OK, you would learn the count.
5.- Bandhas.
Bandhas are internal locks and the most important one is the mulabandha or root chakra lock. This is done by contracting the area of the perineum. Pattabhi Jois was known for saying that you should actually contract this area of the body all day long, not just during practice.
Bandhas are used to prevent leaks of energy. When we lock the root portion of the body we ensure that the base of our energy is active and connected. There is a second Bandha called "Uddyana badha" in the area of the navel. The idea is that once the energy is harnessed from the root it is sent upwards.
I would not worry too much about bandhas other than to keep remembering whenever possible to engage the root bandha, to "tighten your anus", that famous expression that made ashtanga famous.
5.- Dhristi
Krishnamachrya used to walk looking
down all the time to not get distracted,
I have yet to learn that skill.
Is the focus point, and each pose has one, either we look at the hand or the left or the right or the nose (alongside the nose) etc. Your teacher will point to you which way to look. Do not worry too much in the beginning, just be aware of it. Slowly it will all come together like the pieces of a puzzle, and over years of practice.
6.- Tristasana
Eventually, with a lot of practice it all comes together and the poses, the breathing and the drishti happen. That is Tristasana which means all three aspects are coming together, then a meditative state is induced even as we practice asana. It could take years for this to happen.
When someone asked Sharath how come "bandha" was not included in Tristasana he repeated what Pattabhi Jois said, that bandha should be "on" or "engaged" all day long.
7.- Get Comfortable Sweating
If the breathing is done correctly, then the sweating will break pretty soon unless you are practicing in a very cold area of the planet. If you do not sweat at all then it is likely you are not breathing and pushing yourself towards your "edge" in every asana and vinyasa (movements and breathings done to get into and out of each asana). If you are sweating too much you may be over-exerting, which brings me to...
8.- The Issue of Finding a teacher
This might be the most challenging part of having your practice stick. An experienced teacher has done his or her practice for many years and hence knows not only the counts, the proper breathing, the right alignment, but also the energetics of the pose.
If you are lucky enough to have studios in your area visit them and ask them for a "trial membership". Make sure the ashtanga teacher will be in the room on those days (as many teachers travel quite a bit, visit Mysore etc). See what your gut feeling is about the teacher, can you trust him? Does she talk to you?
If you can find a teacher that clicks with you, then consider yourself blessed, and try to stick to it. Pretty soon you may find yourself wanting to go to Mysore, that is a great idea!, for more on that see the last 5 points.
Many people cannot practice alone, but some can, so if you cannot find a teacher there are still some other ways to get started.
List of authorized and certified ashtanga teachers from around the world: here. It takes a while for new teachers to appear in the list, so check the listings of your local ashtanga studios. It is not critical that a teacher be certified or authorized wither. There are lots of teachers that follow Manju Jois-son of P.Jois- tradition and receive a different authorization so they many not be listed there, but still be very good teachers.
The resources below are directed towards those without access to a good teacher OR those who would like to build a little bit of a practice and sweat before hitting the studio. I know this might be the case as this was my case, I did not start attending led classes until I thought I knew half of the primary series.
9.- It is vital to keep a good sense of humor, about the whole thing. Yes, that deserves a whole point on itself, that is how important it is.
For a laugh, for some info, for inspiration. Also this post contains some useful pointers like "shower before and after", "studio etiquette", what to do in "ladies holidays" etc.
11.- Always shower before getting on the mat
Especially as you begin the practice, the purification will start releasing some toxins you did not even know you had inside. You may smell in a way you are not used to, especially if you did not shower before. Also, showering relaxes the body and prepares it for practice. Pattabhi Jois said that it is important to shower afterwards too.
12.- Quotes that help keep us going
Anyone can practice yoga, old, young, sick, very old. Only one person cannot practice: the lazy!
No Coffee no prana - Sharath is very fond of sharing how he has been drinking a cup of coffee before practice every day since he can remember. He says that is the only "preparation" he uses before getting on the mat
99% practice 1% theory. Yeap! as in: let's get on the mat!
Also, visit www.kpjayi.org for the history of Ashtanga, pictures, bios etc.
Suggestions on DVDs to start practicing to
14.- Richard Freeman:Ashtanga Yoga Introduction, and also of course, The Primary Series. Richard has been practicing yoga for over 40 years, and his principal teacher was Pattabhi Jois. I have used his DVD on the Primary Series. He mostly goes through the count and explains a few things here and there. It is useful.
"Turning ON the lights of the pose
in Prasaritta Padotanassana A"
For example, on Prasarita Padotanasana A he says "turn on the lights of the pose" and I always remember that metaphor when I get into the pose.
15.- Kino MacGregorIntroduction to Ashtanga: The good thing about this DVD is that it includes a talk on breathing (by Tim Feldmann) and one on the philosophy side (by Greg Nardi). And then of course there is Kino and Greg going through primary with modifications up to Janu A. See my review here.
16.-Mark DarbyAshtanga Yoga Primary Series DVD. This DVD means a lot to me because it is the one I started practicing to. If you speak French, this is the one to get, as you can have it play in English or An Francaise... oui.
Specifically I like that Mark does the primary series at a very "advanced leve", you know? like he can hold his leg really straight an up in Uttita Hasta Padangustasana, while Nicole (the assistant teacher who speaks French) does the "modifications".
Here is a video where on 0:52 you can see me try to get that leg high and straight, but it is not quite as good as Darby's , guess I need about 20 years more of practice! ;-)
On those early days of my own practice, I remember how relieved I was when the DVD got to the laying down. It is quite a long practice, but remember to do it up until where you can. It does get easier with time!
More:
Sharath Jois has a few DVDs of the Primary Series. In my opinion they are great because he does not talk at all, rather he just sticks to the count, and should you ever visit Mysore this is what a led class would look like. Only thing is, Sharath is very advanced, he goes a little on the fast side, and there are no modifications. Is good to have but perhaps not so much to start with.
David Garrigues an introduction to the primary series DVD. He also has explanations on top of the counts, and you can either buy it from Amazon, or RENT IT!, that is new...
Daydreamingmel, a blogger and reader, suggested the DVD by Basia Lipska, which is in English and Polish!, how cool is that? I have not seen it but my understanding is that it goes through the primary series and has modifications.
Lino Miele, a very popular and senior teacher from Milan, also has a DVD on the primary series, I have not seen it and would welcome feedback and notes about it if you have. Is it in Italian too?
Mysore Style Ashtanga Yoga Primary Series with Melanie Fawer. Melanie is a certified teacher of KPJ. I have not seen this DVD yet, have you? The "Mysore style" part in the title makes me curious, I wonder if she does not lead the class, or how it is structured.
Just for fun: DVDs to admire and kind of have your jaw drop
17.- On Anatomy. David Keil Yoga DVDs on Anatomy. I have not seen these DVDs yet, but have them on order and will be reviewing them soon.
Books to Read
Why so many? Different books speak to different people and personalities. It might be a good idea to get one or two and see how they feel. I wrote a tiny bit about each one I know about. For example, I have yet to read the Lino Miele one, which I have on order, so I have not even read some of them... remember this is to be investigated over a long period of time.
18.- Yoga Mala is the only book written by the guru of Ashtanga Yoga, Sri K.Pattabhi Jois
Yoga Mala means "A garland of Yoga".
This from the publisher: ... He outlines the ethical principles and philosophy underlying the discipline, explains important terms and concepts, and guides the reader through Asntahga's Sun Salutations and the subsequent primary sequence of forty two asanas, or poses, precisely describing how to execute each position and what benefits each provides..."
19. Guruji. A great book with stories from students of the Guru from the early stages, people who have been with him.
I love the stories that Saraswatti -his daughter- tells, for example when she remembers how the Guru would do demonstrations and he would go into kurmasana while he stood up on top of her for an hour! not to be tried at home but definitelly a good read.
I also enjoyed the part when a student asked him why he would not teach him "meditation" and Guruji replied: "mad-attention". Can certainly identify.
20.- Gregor Maehle's book is almost like a bible of ashtanga.
It not only contains the primary series with lovely images, full descriptions and anatomy discussions, it also talks to us about being careful and preventing injuries.
The critical thing about this book is that it also introduces the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, which are not discussed at lenght on this pose as we are focusing on "starting with asana", but that eventually get to be on the radar of any practitioner.
Mahele has done his homework and read many of the sacred texts, he has a gift for bringing it all together in a frank, easy to understand way.
This book from a devoted practitioner is a great read and it has photographs with modifications for each of the poses.
He also has a laminated card, which I used when I began to remember the poses.
A great resource.
22. John Scottwas the book I used in the beginning. Even though many things have changed in the primary series, and it continues to evolve, I find this a great resource
I confess I have not read this book yet, but I read the story behind it when Lino talks about his relationship with Guruji in the book above. So I am curious and I have it on order.
I find that Richard Freeman's The Mirror of Yoga is a book to wrestle with, read and re-read, there is a LOT of information there.
25.- Matthew Sweeney has this great resource in booklet form. I love how you can see all the pictures of all the series -to fourth-. It inspires me just to look at, and it is also a great detailed map of the vinyasas.
26.- Articles about Ashtanga Yoga abound and you can always follow me on Twitter, read the blog roll on the blog and also see other articles at ashtanga yoga dot comhere
27.-Namarupais a privately published magazine run by Eddie Stern -a senior teacher and certified student-, a very interesting read with great pictures.
Visiting Mysore
You may be curious after you start your practice about Msyore in South India. If you are lucky you may have Sharath come on tour to a city near you, and that is an experience not to be missed. Then, Mysore is really it, a place of wonder, another planet, and also a great treat to focus on your practice.
I find that it might be better to visit when your practice is "not so advanced" because you have less attachments to it.
Another good reason to visit is that the primary series tends to change from time to time and it is good to travel to the source and see where things are at.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO MYSORE SOON VISIT MYSOREPEDIA DOT COM a FREE GUIDE I created with all sorts of info on accomodations, yoga, food, internet, massage, swimming pools, chocolate, coffee, what to pack, how much it might cost etc.
28.- TAKE IT FROM A BEGINNER The first time James came with me he was almost a complete beginner. He had been practicing Ashtanga for only about 6 months, and felt a little out of sorts, so he wrote the post: I have been completely humiliated by yoga.
That post is very indicative of how one might feel on a first trip being a beginner, it is also funny and we can all relate, no matter what level. As a matter of fact an advanced yogi who is about to start attending the led intermediate classes once told me she felt exactly like James, and that she would be writing a post on that. So there! you get these feelings at every level.
29.- James also attended Sharath on tour in NYC with me andfelt humiliated by yoga, again! -that title is a link, click on it to read-Here is that post if you need more laughs
30.-Tips to travel safewhen you finally book that plane ticket to Bangalore (or Mysore... who knows? they just opened an airport). Click on the title to see the article.
31.-Packing List. Click on the title to see the article.
The Chai Shop, near the shala
in Mysore
32.-Guide to Mysore. Click on the title to see the free guide and article.
"Tens of thousands of mourners have been visiting the south Indian ashram where the body of revered guru Sri Satya Sai Baba is on display"... says the Asian edition of the BBC.
Sai Baba is the guru who, at least to me, became famous when he was said to be able to materialize gold powder out of his own hands.
I heard the stories of people going to India and coming back to Buenos Aires and telling everyone how they had seen it with their own eyes:
"Many devotees... considered him a living god and credited him with mystical powers including the ability to conjure objects out of thin air..." continues the report.
One thing the did materialize was money:
"It is unclear who will run the trust set up by his devotees in 1972, now believed to be worth nearly US$ 9 billion"
But controversies aside (see end note), I am glad the book is free and available online for anyone to see what a true master of yoga like Krishnamacharya would have us understand within the confines of 169 pages, most of them filled with great pictures of asana performed by him and some of his -very young- students.
The one surprise I found right away is that he lists 10 yamas (observances of yoga) and 10 niyamas (principles to follow in yoga), not five as we are accustomed to hear, say, from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
I suppose they can be combined into the mayor five but not always.
I, for once, was happy to find some of them addressing issues like money, hoarding and giving, or mantra repetition and visualization of well being, or the divine auspiciousness reaching us. To me this makes the yamas and niyamas come much closer to my time, to things that affect me in this century, it brings them closer to home.
Take for example how we have all heard of: Ahimsha -non-violence-, satva -truth of word and thought-, asteya -do not take or steal from others-, bramacharya -using our sexual energy responsibly-, and aparigraha -non-possessiveness-.
Tirumalai K. adds a few more
KSHAMA - Equanimity of mind no matter what happens in life
DHRTHI - to continue our work with mental steadfastness and courage no matter what may come
DAYA - to behave with good intentions towards all, be it friend or foe
ARJAVAM - to keep the state of mind honest
MITAHARA - to eat food only to one half of the stomach, the other half goes half to air and half to water
and wait, there is more!
" ... to not hoard money is called asanchayama, this is also a yama", maybe even two: "... to perform good deeds without fear is also a yama"
And then, on the niyamas, we have heard of: Saucha -cleanliness of body and mind- Santosha -contentment-, Tapas -austerity practice-, Svadhyaya -study of scriptures-, and Ishvarapranidhana -surrender to God-
Krishnamacharya has this to add:
ASTHIKYA - to make up our minds and follow with conviction the energy that protects all worlds "paramatma"
DAANA - to give away from our honestly earned earnings to good causes without expectations
HRI - Modesty
JAPA - To properly chant the great mantras
MATHI - to visualize divine auspiciousness from our chosen deity
I am glad he separated them, made them 10 and elaborated. Here is the free book, the yamas and niyamas are on page 22.
End note: The original translator, Nandini Ranganathan, says: "...I ask that you do not sell it but you are welcome to put it on a website for anybody to download, to e-mail further, or to lend your manuscript to be copied by anybody. It does have typos (remember, we did this in 2006 and planned to do a final revision or a new edition later) but I think it is actually otherwise reasonable (we would welcome corrections and comments). Most importantly, it will accomplish our goal that people read what Krishnamacharya had to say without interruption and without censorship. The book is powerful and wonderful and I hope any of you that reads it finds it as meaningful and relevant as we did"
I find that Sharath is transitioning into Guru status in his own right through dedication, his commitment to practice and teaching, his utter determination to pass along what he learned and his invitation to all of us to put the practice into action where it counts, for example:
"...Take ahimsha... (non-violence), he said two Fridays ago...if you do asana but then go and punch someone in the face, then what is the point of practice?"
His main message, no matter when or where is always an invitation to find the guru within, "do your practice, the right answer will come to you", "do your practice, all is coming", "do yoga". He has what we in the west call a "media message", and this is it. He repeats it every time and every where.
This is the brightest indication of how important it is for us to hear it, again and again, process it, understand it and connect with our spiritual source daily, trusting that the rest does take care of itself, because it does.
"Once you are true you do not need to fear"
And so it is, once we know what our source spirit directive is then, as Gurji would say: "why fear?". Of course! do your practice, that is what allows us to be true, to establish the connection, to delete the b/s to come clean to ourselves, to eliminate the drama, to trust that we are on the right path, to believe that we are on it for a reason, to surrender, to thrive.
Why do we practice asana? because "when the body and mind are stable then we do not have delusions, then we can follow the yamas and niyamas"
Only after we are real, only after we stop the projection, eradicate the delusions (and boy I know I have them!) can we actually be peaceful, non violent, clean, contented, devoted, and so on. Then we can sign and study the sutras, then they have meaning, real meaning. As in right now, as I write and you read.
"Even though Patthabi Jois is not here, his energy is. We live in the tradition and pass it along, then we leave".
James said something very beautiful after hearing that, he said that our job is to focus on the things we love and -forget the naysayers- and so when is time to go, we do not die, but rather we "leave". Instead if we are fueled by anger or hatred when is time to die we "die" which is more like a battle instead of a letting go. because dying implies action rather than leaving which is more of a going.
Encapsulated in that cryptic sentence Sharath tells us of his life message to pass it along and leave.
Just as schools of yoga have therapy as part of their curriculum, so does our system. It is called the primary series. Not everyone has to do the whole thing, even half of it is enough. Anyone can attain the state of yoga by practicing it, to wherever it is that one can practice it. The rest comes.
How does he know? because has practiced for over 20 years, how does John Campbell, or Kino or Eddie, Philippa, Gregor or Lino, or Hamish know? because they have done it.
99% practice. 1% theory. But that is just in class. The curiosity does not end there though, we do yoga throughout the day, we explore our reactions, we find our truth, we act in the most efficient way, we strive for peace, not just in the mat.
"Anyone can practice. Old, young, sick, tired. Anyone, except the lazy!"
And if laziness is not there then we are lucky, we can be protected by true lineage, by those who came before us and tell us that it works. We begin to see the fruits pretty quickly and sometimes we have some doubts that is why
"Practice should be with respect faith and over a long period of time."
So what makes a guru a guru? Sharath actually addressed that on the first day by saying that his grandfather was such a man that would takes us from the darkness to the light.
He is now in Encinitas, starting his portion of the tour on the West Coast. I am hoping the messages will transpire, and that perhaps they will have a video strem each Friday. I asked, they said they are looking into it. We do our practice and all is coming.
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Beautiful pictures from Earth-Day. Does #7 remind you of the "cork" in the Island of Lost?
A nice explanation and full demoof how to use the neti pot. Fluid action at minute 3:40
This shala in Portulgal recorded the students practicing to the stream with Sharath -on April 8th-, which can be seen on the wall projection. (No word yet on whether there will be a stream from Encinitas)
On the video below, at 2:46 while branching into the Krishnamacharya lineage, how come there is no A.G.Mohan or Ramaswami?
In a day filled with symbolism -Earth Day / Jesus crucified cause he saw things as they were- I thought of the depth and meaning of one of the poses some of us practice daily, Janu B, and how, if modified just a tiny bit, it becomes a lot more than an asana.
On its second side, it turns into: "The Mahamudra" or "Great Attitude". One of the wise books of old says that it cures "consumption"... Wonder if Earth Day could use some of that.
I know, is the left heel for the
Mahamudra, this is just
the first side of Janu Sirsasana
"6-7. Pressing carefully the anus by the left heel, stretch the right leg, and take hold of the great toe by the hand' contract the throat (not expelling the beath), and fix the gaze between the eye-brows. This is called Maha mudra by the wise."
The Hatha Yoga Pradipika calls it "The Great Attitude". It is, of course, recommended to learn it from a teacher or at least read the chapter in full, I will not transcribe the whole instruction as it is long and detailed but consider these effects:
"By locking the throat and retaining the breath, the prana rises straight, just like a snake beaten with a stick becomes straight...
...So the kundalini shakti becomes straight at once. Then the two (ida and pingala -left and right subtle channels of energy of the body-) become lifeless as the shakti enters the shusuma -center channel of energy of the subtle body-...
...It is also one of the krya practices... spontaneously arises meditation"
Maha Mudra: With the left foot pressed tightly against the rectum, extend the right leg out in front. Make sure that the heel is touching the floor and the toes are pointing upwards. Hold the big toe of the right foot with the fingers of the right hand. Keep the chin firmly pressed against the chest and keep the gaze fixed on the midbrow. Similarly, following the instructions mentioned above, repeat the mudra with the right foot pressed firmly against the rectum and the left leg extended forward.
Benefit: Tuberculosis (consumption of lungs), asthma, coughing and breath diseases, obstruction of bowels, diseases of the spleen, indigestion, such dis- eases of vayu will be removed.
The Benefits:
Gerantha Samhita:
"Cures consumption, the obstruction of the bowels the enlargement of the spleen, indigestion and fever - in fact it cures all diseases."
Hatha Yoga Pradipika:
Removes the worst afflictions (the five kleshas) and the cause of death. Therefore it is called the great attitude by the ones of highest knowledge. Increases vitality, stimulates digestion and harmonizes all bodily functions, increases awareness, brings clarity of thought and helps to overcome depression.
Yoga Chudamani Upanishad:
Maha mudra is a practice that purifies the entire network of nadis (subtle nervous system)...absorbs rasa or health-giving fluids so it pervades one's entire being.
How about them mudras?
Enjoy the earth day. Here in the North East we are blessed with a beautiful one!
Here they are, the five finalists. Three Vinyasa style, one Ashtanga, one De Rose. Interesting to see four out of the five come from the Krishnamacharya lineage.
Deviation from what we usually see on the cover of YJ? Maybe not so much.
Other than the dress I am indeed trying new things on the backbend. I never thought there would be so much to learn about a simple position. Turns out there is.
Heidi, who was in Thailand during my YTT suggested -in Facebook- a few things like:
relaxing the neck (which I did not think I was tensing, but what do I know?),
keeping the elbows parallel and
forcing the knees forward and front, well, not "forcing", but making sure they are indeed making the effort.
For a while I became a little lax on the parallel-ness of the feet because I realized that everyone I know opens the feet up a little before they can ever come up, so why not me?
While practicing with Sharath last week for some reason I remembered the pointing the knees forward and alas! the bending became easier.
Easier?
Easier. Keeping the legs closer (imagining that I have a brick to hold in between the legs) and very parallel makes things easier.
Heidi also mentioned trying to even up the curve, and complimented me on the dress I was wearing on that old Facebook video which of course, only encouraged me to go red, and also giving a go on all suggestions. Thank you Heidi
Oh yes.
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n, and also of course, 
. Richard has been practicing yoga for over 40 years, and his principal teacher was Pattabhi Jois. I have used his DVD on the Primary Series. He mostly goes through the count and explains a few things here and there. It is useful.
.
DVD. This DVD means a lot to me because it is the one I started practicing to. If you speak French, this is the one to get, as you can have it play in English or An Francaise... oui.
. He also has explanations on top of the counts, and you can either buy it from Amazon, or RENT IT!, that is new...
. Melanie is a certified teacher of KPJ. I have not seen this DVD yet, have you? The "Mysore style" part in the title makes me curious, I wonder if she does not lead the class, or how it is structured.
, 3rd and 4th Series
is the only book written by the guru of Ashtanga Yoga, Sri K.Pattabhi Jois
. A great book with stories from students of the Guru from the early stages, people who have been with him.
, which I used when I began to remember the poses.
was the book I used in the beginning. Even though many things have changed in the primary series, and it continues to evolve, I find this a great resource
has this to say about how to get into it:
calls it "The Great Attitude". It is, of course, recommended to learn it from a teacher or at least read the chapter in full, I will not transcribe the whole instruction as it is long and detailed but consider these effects:
